Halla Rafati

If “authenticity” is defined as “not doing it for the money,” then it’s no wonder Marta Tryshak is such a sought-after endorsement from Canadian fashion and beauty brands.

She launched WithLoveGabrielle.com while studying architecture and art history at the University of Toronto as a “creative outlet during my time in school” four years ago.

“But pretty soon, as my visitors and followers grew (sitting at 80,000 uniques today), brands started approaching me about working together,” she says. Drawn by her resonance with the 18 – 34 female demo, blogger-friendly brands like Starwood Hotels and David’s Tea knocked first. As her commercial appeal grew, as did her willingness to take her blog from the laptop to events and cable TV, other, less daring brands jumped onboard, unable to resist connecting with the coveted demo through a WithLoveGabrielle.com. And some of those rookies swung for the fences their first time at bat.

“This is the first time La Vie en Rose has worked with a blogger,” says the 24-year-old. The lingerie brand has been mentioned on Celebrity Style Story, Tryshak’s E! Channel weekly show, and other sponsors like Toronto Fashion Week title sponsor Mastercard are activating their sponsorship via a daily column Tryshak is writing on the Fashion Week site.

“Marta is providing a new type of content that our clientele can relate to and is very complimentary to our products and positioning,” says La Vie en Rose vice-president, marketing Élyse Pesant. “In turn we appreciate being able to introduce her to our growing database of clients.”

So besides hustle and a renaissance woman’s worth of skills, brands are drawn by Tryshak’s bespoke work for every brand and every project. “There’s no template. I work with brands to develop content ideas that will appeal to my readers,” she says.

But brands aren’t the only ones benefiting from her unique arsenal of prolific content and growing influence. She volunteers and promotes high-brow arts events like the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) Prom but also uses her platform to promote and fundraiser for Street Haven at the Crossroads, a women’s shelter in Toronto.